Integumentary System

Skin Structure

How frequently are epidermal cells replaced?

The epidermis is avascular, which means it has no blood supply of its own. This explains why a man can shave daily and not bleed even tough he is cutting off several cell layers each time he shaves. New epidermal cells originate from the deepest layer of the epidermis, the stratum germinativum, and are pushed upward daily to become part of the outermost layer, which flakes off steadily. A totally new epidermis is produced every 25 to 30 days.